South Middleton Dam

South Middleton (a.k.a. Bostik) Dam from downstream.

Tributary: Ipswich River

Approach: Dam Removal (in design phase)

The Dam

The South Middleton Dam is a stone and wood dam owned by Bostik, Inc. It is the third dam on the mainstem of the Ipswich River from the river mouth and the first without a fish passage structure of any kind. There are several tributary streams upstream of the South Middleton Dam that would be opened to fish migration following dam removal. The dam is listed as a Significant Hazard Dam by the MA Office of Dam Safety and, while currently listed in fair condition, is showing some significant signs of wear that will eventually need to be addressed for the dam to remain in place. The total number of river miles that would be opened up as result of dam removal is estimated to be over 56 miles. Dam removal also has the potential to restore access to over 119 acres of historically important spawning lakes for Alewife.

Map of the Ipswich River watershed showing the location of the South Middleton Dam and the extent of upstream habitat that is blocked by the dam. More than one quarter of the watershed lies upstream of the dam. An estimated 56 stream miles and 119 acres of historic alewife spawning habitat would be reconnected by its removal.

Project Background and Milestones

Bostik, Inc. is concerned about the long-term maintenance, liability and environmental costs associated with the dam and would like to remove the dam if it is economically and logistically feasible. IRWA, began collaborating with Bostik, Inc. in 2008 and in 2009, received grants from the Gulf of Maine Council/NOAA Habitat Restoration Partnership and the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration to assess the level of sediment contamination behind the dam and the infrastructure needs of the adjacent factory site. Bostik, Inc. also contributed to the study. In 2014 the project partners were able to secure funding from a variety of sources to support the design and implementation phases of this project.

Thanks to these generous funders and the support of Bostik, this restoration project should be completed in 2016!

As of 2014 project partners are actively seeking funding to support the design and implementation phases of this dam removal project

Site History

This site has a rich and diverse industrial history stemming back to the second half of the 17th century. The site has been dammed since the 1670s for various purposes. The dam is currently used to impound water for the fire suppression system at the Bostik’s Middleton plant. An abridged timeline of the site’s history is included below (courtesy Bostik, Inc.)

1674: First dam at the site: John Phelps started a sawmill

1685 : John McCarty and John Buxton started a “fulling” mill” for cleaning and finishing wool cloth.

1709: Ezekial Upton established a grist mill

1832: Col. Francis Peabody acquired the property and built a paper mill and later a linseed oil production facility

This project was funded in part by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. Funding for MET grants comes from sales of three environmental license plates. Please consider choosing one of these plates when you register your car and help to Preserve the Trust.

Our Mission

We work to protect the river and to ensure there is enough clean water for people and nature.